Disarmed
by doom102938
Summary: Pepper Potts is a resilient woman, however, Tony Stark has a way of disarming her. Little does she know that she does the exact same thing to him. Whilst all well in their little world, trouble brews in Russia. Movie centric / Pepperony
1. Chapter 1 - A Pleasant Surprise

Disarmed

Disclaimer: Ironman does not belong to me. A big thanks to Marvel Worldwide, Inc for letting me play in this huge sandbox.

Authors note: It has been a really long time since I last wrote fanfiction and my previous story is on hiatus. So much has changed within the past few years that I feel that I'm no longer able to write in the same style I did previously. I'd like to thank each and every one of you who are reading this fanfiction and any criticism, whether harsh or pleasant are welcomed. As the rest of the chapters have yet to be planned, this chapter and the response to it will greatly assist me with the development of this story. Any ideas are welcomed with open arms. Thanks again and have a great day!

Chapter 1 – A Pleasant surprise

The clock ticked over to 7.00am. A discomposed Tony Stark spoke sharply to his AI.

"Jarvis, call Pepper."

Those who knew the man well would pick up a hint of concealed distress from his tone. It wasn't usual for Pepper to be late, and it was unheard of that she did not call in sick whenever that rare occasion happens.

"At once, sir." Came the calm and collected British accented voice.

Pepper's phone rang for five times before she picked it up. Tony was already halfway out of his garage, ready to storm Pepper's apartment should the call fail.

"Mr Stark? Oh gosh, I'm so sorry but I'm going to be late!" Pepper managed to groan out before sneezing.

"Pepper, are you unwell?"

"I'm feeling a little under the weather Mr Stark, nothing a few Advil and some water can't solve." Pepper sounded slightly out of breath.

Tony hated it when Pepper was formal with him. He decided to storm Pepper's apartment irregardless as she has an inclination to downplay the true severity of her symptoms.

"Pepper, please stop calling me Mr Stark, it makes me feel much older than I really am."

Pepper sniffed and sighed before saying, "Alright Tony, I'll be reaching in thirty minutes time."

"Hey, do everyone a favour stay at home and have a good rest." Tony spoke softly.

"But the nine o'clock meeti-"

"Has been dealt with already, along with the rest of the day." Tony interrupted smoothly.

He weaved his Audi R8 in and around traffic with ease. He has never had to worry about cops catching him as he had Jarvis divert their attention to other business that requires their attention more.

"Tell you what Pepper, I'll talk to you in a little."

"Alright, thank you for understanding Tony" Pepper murmured, glad that her fevered mind need not think of a witty reply

"Welcomed, bye!"

He swiftly ended the call, ignoring the tugging of his heart strings at Peppers vulnerable voice.

"Jarvis!" Tony spoke pointedly to his car.

"Yes, sir?" Came the cool reply of his British accented AI.

"Can you access Pepper's phone and use its sensors to get an idea of how ill she is?"

"Sir I feel insulted by your perception of my abilities." Jarvis replied cynically.

"I swear one day I'm going to change your vocalisation unit to one that sounds like a 10 year old girl." He threatened.

"I look forward to that day sir" Jarvis said dryly "From what little data I've been able to glean from Ms Potts phone, there is a high probability that Ms Potts has contracted rhinopharyngitis. She is currently running a fever of 104 degrees Fahrenheit."

"She's really hot." Tony said lamely.

"Remember to not seem creepy to her, she's just a really good friend." Tony gave himself a small pep talk before knocking on Pepper's door.

A few moments passed and Tony's nervousness or ADHD kicked in, he wasn't so sure of himself anymore. It wasn't like him to be so concerned about anyone, even his close friends. He didn't understand why he was acting like such and he didn't like it one single bit.

The door creaked open and a haggard looking Pepper stared back at him with utter disbelief written all over her beautiful face. Tony made a mental note to oil the door hinges later.

"Uh, hi?" Tony tried to start what would most definitely be an awkward conversation.

"Tony? What are you doing here?" She appeared to be delighted to see him.

Tony Stark took a moment to take his personal assistant's appearance in. She had larger eye bags than usual, even larger than the massive PR disaster his 'I am iron man' declaration had caused her. Her eyes were slightly bloodshot and her normally clear blue eyes were dulled by the illness. Her famous strawberry-blonde hair was dishevelled with many knots caused by restless sleep. All in all, Pepper Potts looked absolutely knackered.

He inhaled in deeply and said, "What are we going to do with you, Pepper?"

Her look grew defensive and tone turned frosty, "What do you want, Mr Stark."

Tony flinched at her tone and unhesitatingly replied, "Pepper, you've been always beside me the past decade and you've stuck with me through the thick and thin. When I was at my lowest, utterly crushed by the kidnapping, it was you who picked up the shattered remains of me. It is because of you I am who I am today""

He ran his fingers through his hair and took a breath. If there was one thing tony wasn't good at was his inability to vocalise his emotions. Not that his narcissism would allow him.

"What I'm trying to say is, Pepper, the least I can do for you is to nurse you back to health."

Somewhere between his speech, her eyes had softened and warmed up.

"Fine, but you can come in only on one condition. Try something funny and I'll send your phone number to the British twins." She half threatened.

Shock and horror was evident in his brown eyes, "Your wouldn't dare! That's possibly the lowest point in my life ever!" He shuddered at the thought of The British Twins getting a hold of his number. Oh what a field day they'd have.

She gave him a breathtaking smile and opened the door further to let him in, "Try me if you dare."

"That's a lot of stuff Tony." Pepper said before muffling a sneeze with a handkerchief. She sniffed and continued, "And aren't you like mysophobic?"

"Hmph, me mysophobic?" Tony said melodramatically. "I am as manly as a man can ever get."

"Even if I had mysophobia, I wouldn't mind catching the illness that has overcome the world famous Pepper Potts." he declared boldly.

Pepper seemed surprised at his very own style of a confession.

"Anyway here's a prototype air purifier I've been working on. Hmm, that sounds like a good name. I shall call it the Starkifier."

"Wow, Tony, that's actually quite thoughtful of you." Pepper sneezed loudly.

He looked embarrassed at Pepper's praise.

"Alright, if you don't mind, I'd like to set up here in your living room." He continued after receiving her nod, "And it looks like it's time for you to take your beauty sleep."

"But I -"

"Nope, rebuttal dismissed. You need the rest so that you can recover quickly and remind me what's my social security number." he interrupted for the second time of the morning.

Pepper looked as though as she wanted to say something but decided otherwise as she knew that this will be a losing battle. Fatigue set in quickly and she wavered almost imperceptibly. Tony immediately moved closer to the redhead and supported her by putting an arm around her waist.

If Pepper was not ill, she would've swatted his hand away and told him off. Pepper instead unconsciously burrowed deeper into this faux hug, reveling in the coolness of his body and fell into an uneasy sleep.


	2. Chapter 2 - The Tsar

Author's note: Well here is another chapter minted out for your pleasure (or displeasure) to read. I'd love to hear more from you guys especially ideas. Critical reviews on how I can improve the story and my writing style are also welcomed. Anyway enough blabbering and onwards with the story!

Chapter 2 – The Tsar

Pepper awoke with a start and started panicking for a second. She could not remember how she got into her bed. She felt absolutely awful, her head was throbbing and she shivered violently.

Her blurry vision picked up two sources of light. One was from a laptop that displayed a wall of text, doubtlessly was from some engineer trying hard to impress the billionaire. The other was from the chest from the said billionaire sprawled spread eagle across her floor. If it wasn't for how she felt at the moment, she would've found his sleeping posture hilarious.

_Tony? What is he doing here?_

Suddenly her pyrexic mind recalled what happened in the morning and the panic subsided. A third source of flashing light caught her eyes once more. It was her Blackberry. She stretched an arm to reach for it.

'Ms Potts, please do not be alarmed, it is Jarvis here.' the screen read.

'Jarvis? What are you doing here?' Pepper quickly typed back, utterly confused.

'I'm terribly sorry to have to correspond rather than conversing with your delightable self. I'd also like to point out that I'm not allowed to access any of your personal data on this device.' the slightly flattering message came.

'Stop rambling Jarvis and go straight to the point.'

'I will as soon as you hydrate yourself. There is a bottle of water next to you.' came the equally defiant reply.

Pepper suddenly wanted to strangle the individual who imbued such a stubborn and cynical attitude in his AI. Left with no choice, she grabbed and opened the bottle with more force than necessary. As soon as she took the first sip, she realised just how thirsty she was and quickly downed the rest of the bottle.

'Mr Stark has been in a state of dormancy for 47 minutes. His latest restive period was 23 hours and 36 minutes ago. It would be prudent to allow Mr Stark his beauty sleep.' The AI continued once the bottle was empty.

Pepper was extremely baffled by her boss' sudden change in attitude towards her and that is exactly what's getting her frustrated. The billionaire was completely impossible to predict.

His recent actions may have made her marginally moved and pleased.

Okay, who was she kidding, she was absolutely ecstatic and squealing like a little girl who'd gotten her first barbie toy internally when he appeared at her door to take care of her.

She was a particularly resilient woman, having resisted the extremely alluring and flirtatious charm of her boss, but recently, it had been much harder to resist him. Something fundamental changed in him.

'Ms Potts, you should continue to recuperate. The symptoms for the rhinopharyngitis you have contracted should subside within 24 to 30 hours. If you are unable to rest, Mr Stark has prepared a selection of fashion magazine for your perusal should you get bored. The magazines are conveniently placed on your nightstand.'

Sure enough piled high on her nightstand, Pepper stared dumbly at the monumental pile of fashion magazines.

'That's a library worth of books. And I've subscriptions to most of these magazines.' she replied the AI dryly.

'Yes Ms Potts. However, Mr Stark was already aware that you may already have the latest magazines. Strings were pulled and these magazines are early revisions of next month's magazine.'

She could not prevent a smile from forming on her face. The fact that Tony actually thought about entertainment for her showed that he cared.

'Thank you, Jarvis. I think I'll read some magazines before trying to rest.'

'You're welcomed, Ms Potts.'

Pepper set her phone down and picked up an unpublished revision of Vogue and began flipping through it.

Tony rubbed the sleep from his eyes and got off the carpeted floor. He groaned silently as he stretched his muscles which were stiff from his sleeping position.

He glanced at his exquisitely crafted watch that read 8.07am. He wanted to continue dozing for a while but decided now was as good a time as any other time to wake up.

His gaze stopped at the comely woman who has literally ran his life for 12 years. Pepper back was facing him and her duvet had come undone. Tony went up to her and pulled the duvet back up.

He gently touched her forehead. The fever was still on. He took this rare opportunity to admire her face. She was breathtakingly beautiful and he noticed that she appeared to have lost some weight.

He would have to do something about her diet.

Pepper awoke with a start when she heard a crash of pots and pans from her kitchen.

A muffled howl of pain and some swearing followed.

"Ow damn it!" she smiled as she could almost imagine him cradling his bruised foot.

She got up and put on a pair of slippers and walked out towards the general direction of grumbling and cursing. She felt much better than when she first fell asleep. Tony's presence may have had something to do with that.

"Sir, it appears you do not have the ability to heat up even the simplest canned meals." came the snarky remark from his AI.

"Argh, I swear I will downgrade your hardware using hammer industries electronics." Tony replied, exasperated.

"Sir, I'll look forward to the day you deliver on your promises. I am fairly certain you are not able to make it through the day without my assistance." the well concealed smugness was oozing out of Jarvis' tone.

_Ding ding ding, Jarvis one, Tony naught._

Pepper grinned at the prodigy losing to his own creation. She decided that this was the time to interrupt their gun measuring contest.

"Hey, lost to a can of soup?" her voice was coarser than usual yet her tone light.

"Well... It was Jarvis' fault!" He quickly said, looked slightly sheepish and annoyed at the same time.

"Excuse me sir-"

"Mute!" Tony quickly overrode Jarvis.

"I'm sure it's Jarvis' fault. Even though you're the one with the opposable thumbs." Pepper took the mickey out of Tony.

Tony bent over to pick up the pot and said, "I don't like the way your malevolent pot is staring at me."

Pepper couldn't resist laughing and she had to admit that it felt good.

"What is this, the infamous genius Tony Stark reduced to kitchen duties? Is that the way you show your concern?" She felt marginally guilty for teasing him for taking care of her.

"Hey wait a minute, you called me a genius! Thanks. It's natural for an employer to care for his employee isn't it?" He looked unsure of himself.

"The word genius can be used negatively you know. Come lets make us some breakfast." She took her pot from his hands and set it gently on her stove.

She would under no circumstances let anyone know that she secretly loved the easygoing banter between her and Tony. Totally unprofessional she realises.

"So, what are we having?" she said as she went to retrieve her can opener.

"Chunky vegetable soup."

She took the can from his hand before saying, "I don't remember having any of it in stocked up though."

"You didn't, I had the receptionist buy some grocery and send them here. You like vegetable soup right?" A ting of insecurity colouring his words towards the end

She gave him a unrepressed smile, unlike the smile she has on most of the time when she wants to strangle the living daylight out of the billionaire when he makes her life unnecessarily difficult.

"It's perfect Tony."

"Sir, Colonel Rhodes is demanding to know your current location, he claims he has some urgent information to discuss with you." Jarvis voice pierced the silence in the living room.

He stood up from the cough and stretched his aching back. Tony then picked up his phone and speed dailed Rhodey. It rang once before The Air Force officer picked up.

"Hey Rhodey, what's up?"

"Where the hell are you? You aren't at your house." came the irate response from the other side of the phone call.

"Hold your horses cowboy, that's because I'm Pepper's place."

"Finally! You asked her out?" Rhodey replied excitedly.

"What do you mean finally? I didn't ask anyone out." was Tony's oblivious reply.

"You're quite thick in the head aren't you? Anyway I digress, I need to meet you now, it's urgent."

"How urgent?"

"Like a city is going to be wiped off the face of the earth urgent."

"Okay, meet me at handsome coffee roasters in 45 minutes."

"We're discussing the end of the world and that's your location of choice?"

"You know I love the coffee there. Take it or leave it."

"Alright you had better not be-" Tony pressed the end call button.

Tony scribbled a note to Pepper, it read;

I'm out to meet Rhodey. Jarvis is on the laptop beside you if you need anything.

TS

He quietly slipped into Peppers bedroom. His personal assistant was sleeping soundly, the illness appeared to have taken out almost all the energy in her. He pasted the post-it note on the fresh bottle of water on the night stand and placed a kiss on her forehead before leaving her apartment.

If Tony was more observant, he might have noticed the small smile adorning Pepper's face as he left, but he didn't.

"What's up Platypus." Tony flippantly said to the approaching officer.

"Hey Tony, you look well and you're early." he gave Tony a knowing glance which he new Tony hated. "I'll have a double shot espresso please." he spoke casually to the young starstruck waitress.

"I'll have what he has." Tony gave a smile and a winked at the poor girl who never stood a chance.

She stammered their order out again and scurried over to relay their order to the barista.

"The Hubble Space telescope recently picked up a spike in radiation in Novaya Zemlya, Northern Russia, which suggests that a fission bomb was detonated." the airforce colonel continued without delay.

"How much radiation was released?" Tony was now 100% focused on the conversation.

"Not enough to cause a concern, however the region of this detonation got us wondering if it means the return of thermonuclear war."

"No, this confirms something, whoever detonated the fission bomb is trying to send a message to us."

"How do you know that?"

"What do you know of a thermonuclear device called 'Tsar Bomba'" Tony Stark said cryptically.


End file.
